The JBL Live 680NC may sound good, but the battery life and plethora of top features are the star of the show

techradar.com Sep 12, 2026

The JBL Live 680NC may sound good, but the battery life and plethora of top features are the star of the show

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 12, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

JBL released the Live 680NC headphones on March 12, 2026, priced at $159.95 ($129.99 in the UK, AU$199.95). The mid‑range pair feature 40 mm drivers, adaptive ANC, Ambient Aware, personalized EQ, spatial audio, and Auracast support. Battery life is exceptionally long, but the headphones lack a charging cable and exert pressure on the top of the head during extended use. Sound is warm with a bass‑heavy profile and a slightly rolled‑off high end, while spatial audio feels underwhelming. The 680NC offers strong value compared to the pricier 780NC.

💡 Why It Matters

· The Live 680NC demonstrates how manufacturers can pack advanced features into a budget‑friendly package, reshaping expectations for mid‑tier audio gear.

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Nothing Phone (4b) And Ear (3a) Launch In Malaysia From 20 September

Nothing confirmed the Malaysian launch of its Phone (4b) smartphone and Ear (3a) earbuds, with pre‑orders now open on the company’s website, Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop. Official sales begin 20 September 2026 at Nothing retail stores and selected outlets nationwide. The Phone (4b) is marketed as an entry‑level model, featuring a unibody design, the signature Glyph Bar, IP64 protection, a Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 processor, a 5,200 mAh battery with 33 W fast charging and 7.5 W reverse charging, and a 50 MP main camera with OIS plus a 119.5° ultrawide lens. It ships with Nothing OS 4.1 (Android 16), integrated Google Gemini and ChatGPT, and promises three Android version upgrades and six years of security patches. The device is offered in white, black and blue, 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage for RM1,599. The Ear (3a) earbuds retain the transparent aesthetic, add a three‑LED status matrix, and introduce Audio Capture features such as Audio Snapshot and Call Recording. They house 12 mm dynamic drivers, 45 dB ANC, static spatial audio, an 8‑band EQ adjustable via the Nothing X app, and deliver up to 42 hours of playback with the case; a five‑minute charge yields one hour of use. The earbuds are sold in pink, white, yellow and black for RM399.

💡 The simultaneous rollout of a budget‑friendly smartphone and feature‑rich earbuds positions Nothing to capture price‑sensitive consumers while showcasing its ecosystem integration, a strategy that could reshape entry‑level market dynamics in Southeast Asia.

9to5mac.com · Sep 12

Indie App Spotlight: ‘Farwave’ lets you listen to radio stations around the…

Farwave, a new indie audio application for iOS 18 and later, introduces a unique 3D globe interface for exploring global radio stations. Users can rotate the virtual planet to select specific regions or utilize a random selection feature. Beyond live radio, the app organizes podcasts and local music files on separate visual planets, supporting RSS feeds, playback queues, adjustable speeds, and offline downloads. While the base app is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Farwave Pro offers advanced features for $2.99 monthly or $14.99 annually. The application does not support Apple Music integration but allows users to import audio files from their computer or the Files app. Each artist’s music is represented by a distinct signal within the interface. This release is part of 9to5Mac’s weekly Indie App Spotlight series, highlighting innovative independent software. The app aims to provide an immersive, visually distinct alternative to traditional audio players, emphasizing exploration and offline accessibility for diverse content types.

💡 Farwave transforms passive audio consumption into an interactive visual experience, distinguishing itself from standard streaming services through its unique 3D globe interface. This approach appeals to users seeking novelty and discovery over algorithmic recommendations.

androidcentral.com · Sep 11

Nothing’s Headphone 1 is going Pro? Rumors allege upgrades and a ‘premium’…

Rumors indicate Nothing is preparing to launch the Headphone 1 Pro in late September 2026. The device reportedly features a premium design incorporating aluminum and glass elements, distinguishing it from the base model. Expected colorways include white and black. Audio performance may improve with a triple driver setup, promising enhanced bass, sharper precision, and better treble. Active Noise Cancellation is rumored to be adaptive and superior to the original. Battery life could reach 60 hours, though it remains unclear if this figure applies with ANC enabled. The original Headphone 1 offered 35 hours with ANC on. Pricing is speculated at $399 in the U.S., a significant increase from the predecessor’s $299 launch price. The original model, released in 2025, was praised for its physical controls and KEF-tuned sound. This Pro variant aims to solidify Nothing’s position in the high-end audio market with upgraded materials and performance metrics.

💡 Nothing’s shift to a $399 price point tests whether its distinctive industrial design can justify a premium tier against established audio giants. The rumored triple-driver architecture and adaptive ANC suggest a strategic pivot from value-focused innovation to high-fidelity competition.

techcrunch.com · Sep 11

India’s Pocket FM doubles revenue run rate to $500M as AI powers…

Pocket FM, an Indian audio storytelling platform, has doubled its annualized revenue run rate to $500 million, driven by a shift to artificial intelligence that now powers 93 % of its catalog and 99 % of new content. The company’s AI tools, trained on internal data, cut production costs 80‑fold, enabling 2.5 million hours of content annually from 550,000 creators. Revenue retention rose to 76 % from 44 % two years ago, and the U.S. market now accounts for 70 % of earnings.

💡 The rapid AI‑enabled scaling demonstrates how generative technology can transform content economics, offering a blueprint for media companies to balance human creativity with automation while expanding global reach.

9to5google.com · Sep 11

Comu’s Action Pro is a great meeting recorder that struggles to justify…

The Comu Action Pro is a $180 standalone AI voice recorder designed to magnetically attach to smartphones, offering a 7mm aluminum and plastic body with a USB-C port. It features six far-field microphones and a battery supporting 70 hours of recording, double the capacity of the Plaud Note Pro. While its audio quality is described as thin and tinny, often capturing unintended background noise, its transcription accuracy remains high despite occasional errors compared to competitors. The device integrates with AI models like OpenAI and Google to generate summaries, action items, and documents. However, the reviewer questions the necessity of this dedicated hardware given the capabilities of existing smartphone apps like Pixel’s Recorder. The Action Pro aims to differentiate itself through passive background recording and advanced AI synthesis, though its current execution struggles to justify the premium price tag against free or inexpensive software alternatives that perform similar transcription and summarization tasks effectively.

💡 The device highlights a growing market segment attempting to monetize passive data collection through specialized hardware, challenging the dominance of integrated smartphone solutions. By relying on external AI models for value-added services, it exposes the current limitations of standalone gadgets that fail to offer distinct advantages over ubiquitous, free software applications already present in consumers' pockets.

9to5google.com · Sep 11

Nothing reportedly launching ‘Headphone (1) Pro’ later this month for $399

Nothing is set to launch its new “Headphone (1) Pro” on September 29 for $399 (€349), a $100 premium over the existing Headphone (1). The Pro model will feature 60 hours of battery life, Bluetooth 6.1, ten microphones for active noise cancellation, an aluminum chassis, and a triple‑driver system. Audio tuning is reportedly handled by Metropolis Studios, and the device will include a 10‑mic ANC array. The release follows the earlier Headphone (1) launch and promises enhanced performance at a higher price point.

💡 The Pro tier’s advanced ANC and premium build signal Nothing’s push into higher‑end audio, potentially reshaping mid‑price competition.